I may have already rambled about this, but at some point in my career, I took "yes and" from the improv world and applied to to all professional settings and it's honestly one of the greatest tools for me, of all time.

Someone making an unreasonable request for my time/attention but I gotta play nice? ie, "Hey can you pull thing XYZ together for me today?"

"Yes and I'm going to need until next Friday to complete it w/ everything else on my plate. Thanks for your patience!"

Someone super enthusiastic about an idea w/ a kernel of goodness among a sea of shit?

"Yes, that's a great idea, and I think to make it really work, we need to change..."

In fact, if I'm being real REAL, I use "yes and" here all the time, too, to add stuff that I think is VERY important on a give topic but is missing from a post that otherwise has a good take. Like there's no need to be like, "UGH YOU FORGOT" when instead I can say something like, "Yes, this is awesome, AND I want to add..."

People all have very different communication styles in professional settings and I'm someone who is fairly conflict adverse. I will typically err on the side of harmony, trying to cultivate positive rapport and good team rhythm, w/ anyone else who is also acting in good faith. I haaaate overtly negative conflict, arguing, etc. and frankly it triggers me. Of course sometimes I have to steel my spine for hard convos and I would never avoid productive/healthy conflict.

When there's no need for overt conflict but a gentle redirect will help, "yes and" is a hell of a tool.

hi! i recently graduated with a degree in marine biology. i'm undecided on whether or not i want to go to grad school, but cephalopods are my passion in life, and i would love to stay involved with the science while i'm out of school. do you know any good ways to do so? thanks so much, i love your work (i wear my squid facts shirt regularly!)

I think there are a LOT of ways to do this, and the answer really depends on what you're already doing, who you're currently connected with, and where you're living.

Follow dives from Schmidt Ocean, OceanX and OceanExplorer

Look for online lectures you can attend to keep up with the latest in your field without shelling out $$ for a masters or something

Keep learning. There's no amount of formal education that will teach you everything there is to know on a topic. Read more books, read more papers, talk to other scientists online

IF you have connections to a lab, keep working with them when you can. This is not going to work for everyone. This is impractical advice. But for some people it works.

Good luck!!

Lately been puzzling how my public / online self relates to my career goals in Dutch (and foreign) government.

For example. I'm planning on uploading a new Instagram feed post about my recovered love for painting, but it includes pics of myself in a casual sleeveless top, prob considered "inappropriate" in the eyes of future managers in higher positions. And I'm really not sure how me painting Snoopys my free time affects my professional reputation lmao... The fear that it'll endanger career goals has been on my mind in an increasing manner and I'm kinda bummed about it, but then again it's the path I chose.

Just might change username and/or set any profiles to private.

Have been worried that I'd made a huge mistake with this career change; no way I have the experience needed to do this well. No way they actually hired someone whose never been a technician to run around the state helping technicians diagnose "difficult" cars. Riding along with another advisor last week, I felt like I was back in my first days at [College] when I knew absolutely nothing about cars, felt completely lost, and had gone into the major on nothing more than a vague hunch that it would be a good fit. Then again, I legit spent the last two hours voluntarily reading case studies on a forum recommended by a Diagnostic Shop's youtube channel that I've been subscribed to for years, and geeking out over it. Like, "almost sent one of my professors a screen grab of the data feeds in a thread cuz it made me think of his class and I was proud of myself for seeing what the OP saw before he revealed the issue" geeking out.

Maybe I just need to trust that I'll grow into the position just like I grew into the major.

Also I’m trying to distract myself that it’s been a week and a half since I did my third interview and I didn’t hear anything but ppl think I wouldn’t hear til after Labor Day about any answer yes or no :(

My boy who works as an electrician was telling me how he's trying to get into pro gaming/streaming and it kind of brought me some relief about the career transition Im trying to make.

Idk sometimes I feel insecure about my career stuff not being more "settled"? And he's one of them ppl I think I be comparing myself with. Like he been doing blue collar work since before I dropped out of college. He works 3-4 days a week, and earns 250k yearly (he do like 12-15 hr days of hard physical labor, tho).

Sometimes I just feel like a kid for not having my career figured out. But capitalism has everybody is trying to make moves, to figure out what's gunna be sustainable or make them happier.

In OH I thought Tobias was very competitive almost jealous of other doctors. How did he work with Casey and do they ever have problems because of his jealousy?

Hi Nonny, Thanks for the ask.

I mean, it's canon that both Tobias & Ethan were extremely competitive, and that competition turned toxic, eventually destroying their relationship. I don't think that ever fully went away for either of them, but in OH2 and 3, it does seem that Ethan has become more concerned about medicine and healing in its own right, whereas Tobis is still motivated by other shiny objects (publishing, fame, etc.) But, when it comes to each other, I think the competition definitely diminishes but never fully goes away.

So do I think Tobias is still competitive, yes. Jealous? Not as much. In OH3, in his conversation with MC, Tobias says he came to Edenbrook to work under Ethan to make himself a better doctor. He acknowledges Ethan is a better doctor, and he's OK with that.

I bring all this up to explain why I believe he remains competitive (to a degree), but I don't think Tobias is "jealous" at this point in his life. He's come to terms with his place in the world, and while he may not be "the best" doctor, he's among the best, and that is qualitative anyway.

As far as his work relationship with Casey? Tobias admires and respects the hell out of his wife. When Casey kicks ass Tobias is proud AF (and usually beyond turned on as well, but that is another issue for another day, lol). He loves her completely and wants her to shine as much as he wants to shine. He also views them as a team, not in work, but in life. So when one does well, they both do well. So, there are no issues of toxic competition or jealousy between them (except on game night... lol)

Thanks for the ask!

in much better and sexier news my agent and i are moving forward with one of my graphic novel ideas and are putting together a pitch

I am so stressed rn

Me: finally joins LinkedIn for career and professional networking

Also me: too timid to connect to anyone I don't already personally know

Lunch with the president of my previous company was so good! And timely, since after setting it up I learned that my current company fired 39 (!!) people yesterday. ("It's not layoffs. These were all poor performers." uhm okay except they weren't on performance plans and many of them have been with the company for years and never had feedback that they were performing poorly??)

We talked about the changes in the company since I left, some of the exciting projects and areas of growth, and also the challenges he sees facing the company now. I think there are skills and bits of experience I could bring to the company now to craft a role I would enjoy that I simply didn't have when I left the company three years ago. He laments that they weren't able to craft a role for me then to get me to stay, but at the time I didn't have the skills to fill out the types of roles I could fill now. And I hadn't worked for a larger, faster-growing company and I wanted to experience something different.

I think there's a decent chance I end up going back there. It's sensitive because I do want to make my author career a full-time thing, and I love that company and the employees a lot so I am hesitant to go back when I think I would leave again in 5 years when I'm making enough money from my books... but also, the pull to reunite with this company that I feel much more alignment with than my current company... it's strong.

I would love if you got started on the Benjamin Franklin effect, please fill me in

Oh dear how did I miss this lil prod from days ago to ramble on about something I mentioned in my tags?! I never miss a chance to ramble! No time like the present I suppose.

As anyone who’s followed me too long will well know, I love a cognitive bias or lil human psychology fun fact. This is yet another one I’ve collected over the years. In its shortest form, the Benjamin Franklin Effect is a cognitive bias that “causes people to like someone more after they do that person a favor, especially if they previously disliked that person or felt neutral toward them.”

I’m sure the science behind it is dense but I’m fairly unfamiliar with all that 😂 For me, this is just one of those interpersonal skills I strategically deploy when needed in life and work. As a nonprofit fundraiser/someone who works in philanthropy, I’m constantly asking very “important” or “fancy” people for large sums of money and before said large sums can be asked for (to employ 20 people in feminist work in Texas year round) you usually have to build a positive and trusting relationship. It’s extremely useful to be able to fast track that process, so I ask for the favor of getting a chance to “pick their brains” about something they have expertise in or I ask them to speak at an event, etc. It’s effective!

But this tool has usefulness in SO MANY ways beyond work, too. And if you know about it, you can even be aware when someone is using it on you. The very person who taught me about it…let’s call her Becky, years later, used it on me. Becky and I had experienced a falling out and she had reached out and apologized. We eventually met up to catch up over coffee and the next thing I knew, I had agreed to help give advice to her friend who is also a nonprofit fundraiser. Becky’s friend had a work conundrum and she needed to troubleshoot it with someone like me and there I was agreeing to do Becky a favor and I couldn’t resist being like “I know what you’re doing bitch and it IS working” 😂

As someone who is not naturally the most adept at navigating social situations but who made creating positive relationships w/ other human beings a lifelong special interest approx 30 years ago, it’s so helpful for me. I just keep on collecting ways that you can tangibly build rapport with others to have ready in my back pocket and I can say with certainty this is an effective one when used well.

Clearly I’m not saying to be a manipulative, calculating asshole in life, but understanding how to utilize tools like these can be a huge help when/if you need them.

Anyway, use wisely and enjoy 😘

hoooffff I am faced with a dilemma.

my state license came through. officially certified advanced emt in the hell state (no the other hell state)

this means I can apply for jobs. real jobs not this pennyante transcription crap I've been doing

applying for jobs means subjecting myself to Interviews (which I suck at) and the possibility of Rejection (which I hate) and Disappointment (awful awful).

I was looking forward to this???

Career shift in motion (I never started my original career path anyway)

yes I'm writing a sci-fi novel why do you ask

AU where Jason gets his revenge by becoming a lawyer and getting joker sentenced to the death penalty

Bruce is conflicted about it but any time he tries to say anything on the subject Alfred just talks over him like "oh we're so proud of you master Jason you finished college and you didn't even use your father's extensive resources that could've easily gotten someone in this family a degree aren't we so proud master Bruce that Jason got himself a respectable profession--"